A Box of Chocolates
by Blu Rose
Summary: Anna decides to expand her business by selling chocolate, which she winds up getting Gaius addicted to. But while she's happy that he's her biggest customer, she can't help but feel a bit guilty when some negative effects begin to occur... [A fanmade Support series, so naturally inevitable Anna x Gaius at the end.]


**I have no idea where this came from, but once again, S-rank supports are so difficult for me to write…maybe I should just nix them from any future supports I make, if I do make anymore. It was more fun writing the first three.**

 _Disclaimer: Blu Rose doesn't own the Fire Emblem series—only this fic._

 _Summary: In which Anna gets Gaius addicted to her chocolate, but it has a poor effect on him._

* * *

After helping to win a minor skirmish involving some merchants and a horde of Risen, Gaius decided he deserved a reward for his participation. He had intended to sneak off somewhere private to eat his sweets in peace when his nose caught an attractive smell. "Mm?" The redheaded thief sniffed once more. "I smell… _chocolate_." Fueled by curiosity alongside of his initial craving for sweets, Gaius continued sniffing the air and began walking around the camp, searching for the source of the scent like a bloodhound. The others would have thought it was a strange sight if they hadn't seen Gaius do similar things before. Eventually, Gaius's nose led him to the tent where Anna had set up shop. The redheaded saleswoman was standing behind her makeshift sales counter, hovering over a small, open box from which the heavenly scent of chocolate was wafting out.

"Wow, you got here quick— I mean, welcome, Gaius!" Anna said with a smile. "I'm glad that you're here! I've got a favor to ask of you…"

Gaius didn't hear a thing Anna said as he approached the counter. "Hey, Red. You sellin' chocolate now?" He stared down at the box's contents and smiled. "Ah, truffles… Talk about fancy." The box's lid was placed on top of it, hiding the chocolates from sight and bringing Gaius to attention.

" _Listen to me_ ," Anna spoke sternly. She soon regained her smile. "I've decided to expand my business into the area of sweets. I have here a sample box of chocolates. And since you have such a discerning sweet tooth, I thought you would do me the honor of trying them first!"

Gaius smiled and reached a hand forward to take the box, saying, "Don't mind if I do— Wait a minute." His expression soured and he pulled back his hand, staring at Anna in suspicion. "I know you. You don't give people things for free."

"Well…depending on your reaction, I'll decide whether or not it's worth stocking up and selling." Anna maintained her smile despite Gaius's glaring. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

"I trust you with my life, Red. _Not_ my money."

"Don't act like you don't want to try some. Besides, this whole box is _free_! Imagine how much you would have to pay just to have a single chocolate in town!"

Gaius stared down at the box and licked his lips. "…It's free, right?"

"Yup!" _'The first box, anyway…'_

The thief smiled. "I suppose I could try them. Gotta make sure the soldiers are getting their money's worth." Gaius quickly took the lid off of the chocolate box, picked up a truffle and popped it into his mouth. It only took a few seconds for him to finish eating the truffle. Afterwards, his eyes lit up. "They're…!"

"Tasty? Delicious? Scrumptious?" Anna asked with a smirk.

Gaius sniffed, trying to hide his pleasure from the merchant woman. "Okay, as far as chocolate goes."

"If it's just _'okay'_ , why are you taking more?" The redheaded woman asked, her smirk growing in size as Gaius picked up another truffle to eat.

Gaius ignored her in favor of eating the chocolate. "Where'd you get these chocolates, anyway? Make 'em yourself?"

"Yup! Although one of my sisters gave me the recipe and others traded me the necessary ingredients."

"Sister, huh?"

"She's a very good chocolatier among other things. She makes most of her money selling the food she makes. Along with the money she makes selling non-baked goods, her nest egg's bigger than mine!"

"That right?" At this point, it was obvious that Gaius was too busy eating chocolates to pay much mind to what Anna was talking about, including her barely hidden money-related envy. Not that she didn't notice. Just like Gaius, her eyes were on the box of chocolates, noting how much he ate before he finally stopped. "Well, Red, you might be able to make some added cash with this stuff. Me? Not to my taste."

After Gaius walked out of the tent, Anna scoffed. "Not to his taste? He ate the whole box! Two dozen chocolate truffles, gone in a flash!" She smiled and laughed to herself. "Heh-heh…! Perfect! As a thief, Gaius is bound to have a lot of money on him. He's gonna be my #1 customer for this stuff. _Then_ we'll see whose nest egg is bigger!"

* * *

Several days passed as Anna began selling her handmade chocolate truffles. She gained the business of those soldiers and Shepherds who had a sweet tooth and a love of chocolates, but perhaps her biggest source of money was Gaius. Despite his insistence that the chocolates she made were subpar, he had been willing to spend enough for multiple boxes. If it were anybody but Gaius, one would be worried about the amount of chocolate he consumed. Anybody but Anna, that is.

"It's almost time." Anna sounded positively giddy as she checked her pocket watch. "3…2…1." On cue, Gaius entered the tent and Anna slapped on a smile. "Good day, Gaius!"

"Hey, Red. I'll have the usual."

"Oh, I've already got it." Anna patted a pile of five boxes of chocolates, stacked on top of each other. "Now, if you'll just hand me your money…" As the gold changed hands, the redheaded woman noticed something about Gaius that she hadn't at first. "What's…that on your face there? And there… And…there?"

Gaius made a noise of confusion as he began eating from a box of chocolates. He wasn't so much oblivious to the rashes on his face—and the other unseen parts of his body—as he had learned to ignore them. "Oh, that? Must've gotten bitten by a bug or something."

"That…doesn't look like a bug bite."

"Then I probably rubbed up against the wrong plant," the thief insisted with a full mouth.

"…Gaius?"

"Mm?"

"Do you have any food allergies?" Anna asked, roused by suspicion.

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'd know if I was allergic to something, Red."

Anna arched an eyebrow as Gaius left the tent. _'Even if your sweet tooth has hijacked your common sense?'_ "Ah, well. What do I care? It's his own fault if he can't put two and two together. I'm just the person who sells him the chocolate, not his mother. If he gets sick, it's not _my_ fault, it's _his_ fault because he's too addicted to that stuff to notice what it's doing to him." Although she was smiling as she said this, Anna still looked unsure about her own words. "I'm sure he'll realize what's causing his rash eventually. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?" Saying that just fueled the guilt even more. Anna clutched her head, her eyebrow twitching. "Put it out of your mind, Anna… Do it for the money! Do it for the nest egg! Do it for your financial security!"

* * *

And so, Gaius continued to eat the chocolates that Anna made and Anna did nothing to stop him. Of course, her conscience gradually ate away at her. Each time Anna took Gaius's money and got a closer look at his rashes, she'd feel a pang of guilt. Meanwhile, Gaius's rash got worse. Amazingly, it had no effect on his skill in battle, although it had gotten to the point where acting nonchalant about the numerous blotches on his skin and his constant scratching got Gaius strange looks from people around the camp.

Several days later, an itching and scratching Gaius approached Anna. "Hey, Red. Gimme the usual."

Anna shook her head. "Nope."

Gaius frowned. "What?"

"I'm not selling you anymore chocolate. Not _that_ chocolate, at least."

The redheaded thief narrowed his eyes in anger. "What? Suddenly my money's no good here? You were so eager to get your grubby mitts on it not too long ago."

The merchant woman shuddered at the mention of money. It almost made her change her mind and take out a box of chocolates to sell to Gaius. But she pinched her leg to snap her out of it and steeled her resolve. "Not exactly… Look, I'm cutting you off for your own wellbeing."

"Cutting me off?! What'd I do to you to deserve this?! Haven't I been a model customer to you, Red?!"

Anna huffed as she glared at the scratching thief. "I'm not gonna be responsible for you getting sick! Do you know how badly that would reflect on me as a merchant if it got out _my_ wares did that to you? Not to mention if you _die_ , my reputation would go down in flames!"

"I don't care if I— Wait, _die_?! What's that about dying?!" Gaius stopped scratching for a moment to stare at Anna in shock.

The merchant groaned and held a hand to her head. "I asked you if you had a food allergy, remember? I guess you must have been allergic to one of the rarer ingredients in the chocolate. Granted, I think it's mostly _your_ fault you look like this now…but I should've stopped when I noticed how badly you were being affected. I'm, uh…sorry."

The thief was too busy despairing to give any mind to Anna's weak apology. " _No way_. You mean…there's a sweet that I _can't_ eat?!" Gaius sounded like he was on the brink of tears. He clenched his chest and choked back a sob. "I think I'd rather live with the rash and die!"

"I don't believe that! Could you _really_ give up every other thing in the world you could eat—and also your life—just to eat some chocolate?"

"It isn't just _some chocolate_. It's heaven in bite-size pieces with a tasty filling of bliss. If I knew where your sister was, I'd go through any obstacle to find her and get her to make them for me for the rest of my life. Heck, I'd _marry_ her to get my hands on more, no questions asked. It's just that good, Red."

"Wouldn't you rather some tasty pastries instead?" Anna reached into a sack hidden behind her makeshift counter and pulled out a small bag that had been tied close with a small piece of ribbon. "They're not chocolates, but they'll hold you over." Gaius reached for the bag, but the redheaded woman pulled it back. "They're also not _cheap_."

Gaius glared at Anna. "You…are… _evil_." First she got him addicted so she could get his money. _Now_ she wanted him to pay to be cured from the addiction _she_ started. Nonetheless, he dumped some coins onto the counter, snatched the bag from her hand and took out a small tart from it. He eagerly took a bite of the pastry, but his expression didn't lighten up. The thief could only sigh as Anna happily counted his money. "It's just not the same…"

"Would you like to try something else?" Anna asked with a not so innocent smile. "I've got cakes, and pies, and cookies, and cinnamon rolls—"

"I'll take 'em all," Gaius spoke abruptly.

In her mind, Anna swore she could hear a cash register dinging and she couldn't help but smile. _'Talk about turning a loss into a gain!'_

* * *

After the whole "food allergy" incident, things almost went back to normal. "Almost" is the keyword, because Gaius's attempts to go cold turkey after his addiction to Anna's chocolate did _not_ go unnoticed, as did the way he would cringe when he so much as smelled chocolate. It didn't help that as of late, someone had been leaving chocolate hearts for him every single day. He didn't know _who_ it was, but it certainly felt like they were mocking him and his current difficulties with chocolate. The thief swore that if he ever found out who was responsible, he'd make them regret it.

Luckily for him, the perp stepped right up to confess their crime. "GAIUS!" Anna screamed as she stomped into his tent. "How could you?! How could you just throw them away?!"

"The hell are you talking about?" Gaius asked while he was in the middle of unwrapping a sucker.

"My chocolates! You've been throwing away all the chocolates that I've been leaving for you, haven't you?! I saw you throw one to the ground just now!"

The thief narrowed his eyes as he gave Anna a lukewarm glare. "That was _you_?"

Anna was too busy raging over Gaius's actions to notice the way he was glaring at her. "Just throwing away my chocolate like that is a waste of my money!"

"Forget your money!" Gaius snapped as he pointed his sucker at the merchant woman. "Even now, I can barely smell chocolate without gagging! What makes you think I'd want chocolate after what I've been through?"

"It's not even the same kind of chocolate!" The redheaded woman held a hand to her head and tilted it slightly to the side in thought. "Although I suppose it was thoughtless of me to try and win you over with _chocolate_ after what happened... I'll just give you a heart-shaped cake or something next time…" She turned to leave the tent, but was halted by the voice of the thief behind her.

"Hold it, Red. What's the deal with all this free chocolate?" Gaius asked in a suspicious tone of voice. "You're never this generous. Is this part of some new scheme to milk me for my money?"

Anna huffed and glared at the redheaded thief. "How rude! Villainizing my acts of kindness just because I may have been a tad inconsiderate with my choice of gifts! And don't think I haven't noticed that you've been avoiding me as of late! You even went so far as to give your business to one of my sisters! Do you hate me that much over an incident where _you_ held more blame than _I_ did?!"

"If I stayed away from you, it was because of trauma. And last I checked, you didn't hold complete and utter control over where I take my business." Gaius's cheeks reddened a bit as he looked away from Anna. "But it's not like I hate you. In fact, you could say I've grown accustomed to your face."

Anna gave a sigh of relief before smiling. "What a relief! I thought that maybe you hated me or something. To be honest…I've _also_ grown accustomed to your face. And I sort of missed it…" Her expression quickly switched back to anger as she continued, "Which is why it's so upsetting to know you've been dumping my hearts like they were _garbage_! A man shouldn't treat a woman's heart in such a way!"

"Sorry. If I knew they were yours, I'd have treated them a bit better. But I've got something that might make up for all them." Sticking the sucker into his mouth, Gaius reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small golden ring. In an instant, Anna closed the distance between them to get a better look at the simple gold band. "I ain't exactly chocolate, but I consider myself a sweet enough replacement."

"Hmm…" The redheaded woman closed her eyes, as if thinking about it hard. "I'm not sure about that. I think I should be worth a fortune as a wife, and that ring doesn't say good things about how much money you have. I suppose you could work off what you owe for both my chocolate and my hand in marriage..."

Gaius began to frown. "Are we talking marriage or business? If it's the latter, I'm gonna change my mind—"

Anna snatched the ring and started to smile as she slipped it on. "I accept, I accept! You better not make me regret falling in love with you."

"What a coincidence. That's just what _I_ was thinking, Red."

* * *

After the end of the war on Grima, Gaius and Anna married. Although he tried to stick to a just path, he eventually returned to the unsavory act of thievery. One would think that his wife would complain about his life of crime, but Anna spurred him on in his endeavors and she was often right alongside of him. Many speculate that she sold the items he stole, but it is unproven.


End file.
